Liverpool look set to miss out on summer targets Teun Koopmeiners and Dean Huijsen in one go
According to reliable Italian journalist Alfredo Pedulla, Liverpool are set to face a double transfer blow with Juventus youngster Dean Huijsen expected to be involved in a swap deal with Atalanta star Teun Koopmeiners.
Juventus’ interest in Teun Koopmeiners isn’t a secret anymore as they have been keeping tabs on him since January. They continue to work on a deal for the Dutchman, who has missed the 2024 Euros due to an injury.
After helping Atalanta win the Europa League, Koopmeiners has several European suitors. One of them is Liverpool, which is planning to reinforce different areas of the squad for the new manager, Arne Slot, to excel in the 2024/25 campaign.
However, Alfredo Pedulla claims Juventus have some priorities for the next few days and one of them is closing the signing of Koopmeiners from Atalanta.
After a strong season in Bergamo, La Dea value their star midfielder at around € 60 million, which is proving problematic to pay for Juventus. As a result, the Turin giants are willing to sweeten the deal by including young defender Dean Huijsen in part exchange, the Italian journalist adds.
It should be noted that Liverpool have been linked with Huijsen as well this summer. The defender has headed into the transfer window as a sought-after commodity after enjoying a solid second half of the season on loan with AS Roma.
After a six-month dry loan with the Giallorossi which will expire at the end of June, Huijsen will return to Juventus. However, the teenager’s stay at Old Lady is far from guaranteed as Juventus wants to generate funds.
Atalanta appear ready to accept the talented defender in part exchange for Koopmeiners, and in doing so, Liverpool are set to lose out on two summer transfer targets in one move. The Reds have been seeking reinforcements in defence and midfield after releasing Joel Matip and Thiago Alcantara, respectively, at the end of last season.
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The talented Huijsen, after thriving on loan at AS Roma in the second half of last season, could have been a wise long-term investment for the Merseyside club. Meanwhile, Koopmeiners is well-renowned across Europe for his passing, creativity and goalscoring ability, and someone who his compatriot Arne Slot reportedly wanted as his first Liverpool signing.
As for now, Liverpool should shift their focus to other targets and try acquiring them as quickly as possible to kickstart the Arne Slot era.
